My Bloody Valentine (Red Velvet Cake with Berry Sauce)

Valentine's day is not my favorite holiday. Honestly, it's an awful holiday. It puts ridiculous pressure on couples, new and old. And don't get me started on the number it works on all the single gals. I remember depressingly quiet and lonely Valentine's days when I was young and single. It's ironic that what was once a dreaded day to endure long ago, sounds like the perfect Valentine's Day to me today. What I'd give for a quiet evening alone...All kidding aside, what better way to improve a dreaded holiday, than by channeling my favorite holiday...Halloween! 

I redefined all the hearts and chocolates of Valentine's day with this cadaver quality dessert! Sure it looks like a bloody, gory mess but it is actually a  decadent heart-shaped red velvet cake. Dense and moist like a large cake pop with chocolate buttercream frosting mixed in and drizzled with a deep scarlet berry sauce! Scary enough to chase the faint of heart away. If he doesn't run, you've found yourself a keeper! Happy Valentine's Day.

My Bloody Valentine Cake

(Red Velvet Cake with Berry Sauce)
Serves 4

1 box Red Velvet Cake mix
3 T chocolate frosting*
1 heart-shaped Jello Mold 
a smidge of purple gel food coloring

Bake cake according to package directions. Cool completely. In a large bowl, crumble cake and add about 3 Tbsp chocolate frosting and mix until incorporated.

*I made my own Chocolate Buttercream (recipe below), but feel free to use ready made frosting if desired.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T cocoa powder
1-2 T whipping cream 
Cream butter, sugar and cocoa with a hand mixer. Add whipping cream and whip until smooth. 

Place 1 cup of prepared cake/frosting mixture in a separate bowl and add a small amount of purple food coloring to darken the cake slightly. The darker cake mix will be used to make the veins of the heart. 

Using you hands roll small thin tubes of cake mix and place in the contour of the veins of the jello mold. Refrigerate veins for about 30 minutes to harden a bit before topping with more cake mixture.

Remove from refrigerator and fill mold with the lighter cake mixture and then finish the top with the remaining darker cake mix. Refrigerate overnight or until firm. 
To remove from the mold, place a plate over the mold and gently squeeze the mold until the cake releases. Now prepare the berry sauce.


Mixed Berry Sauce
1 cup frozen mixed berries (strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

Add all ingredients to a small sauce pan and heat until bubbling. Smash berries with a potato masher. Set aside. If you want smooth sauce (blood look only) with no berries, strain it and discard the fruit. If you want it chunky, do not strain the sauce. Here's a picture of the cake with the strained sauce where the top picture is chunky style.  Enjoy!

Other recipes to try:

Black Magic Spellcakes

Valentine Peppermints

Red Velvet Brownies with Cookie Crumble Frosting